ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. field — farmland
  3. suit — clothes
  4. field — for sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — in cards
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. capital — a city
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — a subject
  13. hand — help
  14. sharp — clever
  15. board — a committee
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. suit — to fit
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — a measure
  21. board — to get on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com